


The Wisdom of Children

by dnky



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Gen, Not Steve Friendly, Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pro-Sokovia Accords, Racial slurs, do not copy to another site, not a fix it, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 04:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17738729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dnky/pseuds/dnky
Summary: Steve and his team are the Avengers and it is the Avengers' duty to save the world, whether the world wants to be saved or not. T'Challa was kind enough to take them in when the rest of the world turned against them. Saving Wakanda from terrorists is the least they could do.





	The Wisdom of Children

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to post the second part of Exodus today, but it's not ready yet.
> 
> Beta'd by Thisisarealtagwhy
> 
>  
> 
> It's my birthday today. This is my gift to you, my lovely readers!

Steve steps out of the Siberian bunker with Bucky's flesh arm thrown across his shoulder to prop his best friend up and aid his movement. Bucky had lost the metal arm during the fight with Tony, and although he'll never say it out loud, he's happy to see the arm go. It's HYDRA's. It's how they made Bucky do those terrible things. Losing the arm feels like separating Bucky from the Winter Soldier and Steve is all for it. 

He's tired and sore from from the fight with Tony. He just wants to lay down and rest but he knows now is not the time for resting. Not until they get to safety. The sight of T'Challa putting a pair of handcuffs on Zemo makes him momentarily forget his fatigue. He's shoving Bucky behind him and getting into a fighting stance, ready to defend his friend again if he has to, before he can fully register the movement of his own limbs. 

T'Challa holds his hands up in a sign of surrender when he notices Steve's defensive position. “Captain Rogers,” T'Challa says, still holding his hands up. 

“Bucky didn't kill your father,” Steve tells him before he can get another word in. “It was Zemo. He was framing Bucky.” 

“I am aware.” T'Challa nods apologetically. “I heard his confessions earlier inside and again when he laid out his plans to me. He will be delivered to the appropriate authorities and Sergeant Barnes will be cleared.”

“So what do you want?” Steve asks, still not relaxing. If he got what he wanted, then what is he waiting for? Steve doesn't have time to waste. He needs to get away from this place before whatever backup Tony is expecting arrives. He wonders if T'Challa is Tony's backup. They were on the same side after all. 

“I have seen the errors of my ways,” T'Challa says. “I was wrong to let myself be ruled by my emotions and hunting Barnes down for a crime of which he is innocent. He is a victim, just as my father was. I would like to make reparations for that wrong by offering you a safe haven in my country until it is safe for you to return to yours. We also have the necessary technology to help your friend and make sure he is never used in another mad man's plot like this again.”

Steve wants to say he is surprised, but he is not. The good people will always prevail in the fight against evil and Steve is a good man. T'Challa's words have only served to vindicate him. He wonders why Tony can't be like this. Wise enough to see the truth in front of him and humble enough to admit when he is wrong. 

This is what he has been trying to teach Tony since they met. He thought it was a billionaire thing, but T'Challa is a king and is much richer than Tony, if the rumors are correct. So why is he humble and Tony isn't? 

At least he doesn't have to wait for Tony to finish throwing his tantrum for him to help Bucky. 

He accepts T'Challa's offer and they're given the coordinates to Wakanda, while T'Challa takes Zemo to the right people that will deal with the case. 

They don't have to wait long before T'Challa arrives at Wakanda. The next day, Steve approaches the young king about getting his friends out of the raft that Tony put them in. He had prepared a whole speech to convince the king, but it turns out he didn't need to, because T'Challa is wise enough to realize that they haven't done anything to deserve being put there. He offers Steve everything he needs for the mission. His only stipulation is that Ross mustn't find out they are in Wakanda. Steve understands why, of course, so he has no issue with that. 

They picked up Nat on the way and she joins their mission. Apparently, Tony sold her out to Ross for letting Steve and Bucky get away and now she's on the run too. Steve forgives her for siding with Tony in the first place. He knows she was misled and knows better now. 

Breaking the others out of the Raft is easy for a maximum security prison. Losing the people Ross sent after them is harder. T'Challa only asked him of one thing and Steve is determined to see it through. It takes a few days but it's finally safe enough to return to Wakanda. 

By the time they arrive, Killmonger has tried and failed to usurp T'Challa's throne. 

 

*****

 

Bucky decides to return to cryo until T'Challa's kid sister, Shuri has what she needs to remove the trigger from his mind. Steve is not happy with the decision, nor does he hesitate to let it known but his friend goes ahead with it anyway. 

The weeks following Bucky's return to cryo are long and lonely. Steve thought they'd spend their days reminiscing about the good old days but he figures they have the rest of their lives after the trigger is removed to do that. 

The rest of the team is getting stir crazy. Steve thought Tony would have seen the error of his ways by now, and sent the letter and the phone so he'll know Steve is ready to forgive him and that he shouldn't be too prideful to call. He's been taking his phone everywhere with him, but there's been nothing from Tony's end. 

Instead, Tony is revising the accords and building a new team. Steve wishes Tony will stop using these people to prove a point to Steve. Has he learned nothing from Ultron? These new, inexperienced people Tony is parading around are in over their heads and it's going to blow up in Tony's face. And then Steve and his team will have to clean up the mess, just like they always do.

After Wakanda opens their border and starts allowing tourists and visitors inside the country, T'Challa gives the team free reign to go anywhere they wish. That goes a long way to improve their mood. Especially Wanda, who has taken to going on long walks with Clint. They sometimes return with souvenirs for the team. 

Sam starts seeing one of the maids in the palace. She's one of the few people who is nice to them without reservations and joins them for movie nights when she's not working. It makes Steve miss Bucky even more when he sees them sneaking around. It reminds him of time before war when that used to be he and Bucky. 

He sees even less of Nat once they start going out. She has taken to learning as much as she can about Wakanda and last he knew, her mastery of the local dialect has improved to the point where she can carry out simple conversations with the locals. It has helped the team immensely when they go out as a family, because it helps reduce the wariness and occasional hostility they're usually greeted with when they try to interact with the locals. 

It's why he's a little surprised when the team, led by Nat come into his room when he's taking advantage of the time alone to do some new sketches. 

“What's going on?” He asks, when he notices the grim looks on Clint and Nat's faces. The others look just as confused as the rest of them. 

“There is trouble brewing in this country.” Nat says bluntly. Her words gets a reaction from everyone. 

“What?” Steve asks anxiously, his thoughts going to Bucky. He resist the urge to get up and go make sure his best friend is still safe. “Is T'Challa planning to send us away?”

“No, he's not.” Nat reassures them and they all relax. “In fact, he doesn't know what's going on. Not yet, at least.” 

“Then how do you know there is trouble brewing?” Sam asks. 

“Remember that guy I've been spending time with recently?” She asks. They all nod, although Steve knows there's been more than one guy she's been spending time with recently. “He's the new leader of the Border tribe and I've been investigating him. When Killmonger came to Wakanda, they supported him and their former leader has was imprisoned after Killmonger was defeated. 

“The Border tribe isn't happy about it. They don't like that T'Challa opened Wakanda's borders or that he gave us sanctuary. They're planning a coup to overthrow him and free their leader so they can put him on the throne. I think they're working with the Jibari tribe, but I haven't confirmed it yet.”

“Wait, if he's not happy about the Avengers being in Wakanda, then why would he spend time with you, an Avenger?” Scott asks. 

“Because men can't resist a pretty face?” Nat says with a sultry smile and a wink. “I'm new and exotic. He's attracted to me. He also doesn't know I've been learning their language, so he's not exactly shy about talking to his friends around me.”

“What are we going to do?” Sam asks and they all turn to him. 

“We'll do what we always do,” Steve says, standing up. “We're the Avengers.”

“Shouldn't we like, I don't know, tell T'Challa what's going on in his country?” Scott asks. “He's the king after all.”

“Why should we?” Clint asks him, staring at Scott like he can't understand why they have someone so stupid in their midst. “We are heroes. Saving the day is what we do. If we have to ask the people if they need saving before doing what needs to be done, we'll never get anything done.”

“Exactly,” Sam agrees. “It's why we resisted the accords. Because the Avengers don't answer to any government and T'Challa agrees with us. Or we wouldn't be here.” 

“But still--” Scott starts, 

“Would you be saying the same if it was HYDRA?” Steve asks him sharply. “Because it's the same thing.”

“T'Challa helped us when Tony abandoned us.” Nat says to him, like she's explaining it to a child. “We couldn't help him the first time he was threatened but we can now. If T'Challa loses, we'll be fed to the wolves.”

“So how do we find them?” Wanda asks. 

“Lucky for us,” Nat's smile turns feral. “I know where they plan to meet.”

“Good,” Steve nods approvingly. “Avengers assemble.”

 

*****

 

Nat had been right about the meeting of the border tribe. They'd been meeting in a cave not far from the border and the Avengers had stormed the meeting. 

It's been too long since Steve went out on a proper mission. He has almost forgotten how good the rush of adrenaline feels when he's throwing down an opponent and foiling their evil plots. Although the lack of his shield is a slight drawback, he doesn't let that become an obstacle. 

Within a few short minutes, they've made a quick work of the meeting attendants, called in an anonymous tip to the Wakandan police and made it out of there. 

Steve is enjoying a rare day for sleeping in. You would think having no daily itinerary would make him sleep in more, but no. He has long since given up any hope of waking up late and enjoying a lazy day in bed. He thinks it has to do with his body still getting used to the climate in Wakanda and his environment generally, which just makes him miss the compound even more. 

However, after the fight of last night, he sleeps well into the morning and doesn't even stir when the sunlight streaks through the window and shines on his face. Not until he hears a pounding on his door, does he wake up. 

Steve frowns in confusion at the rude awakening, but he drags himself off the bed to see who thought pounding on his door so early in the morning is a good idea. 

He is greeted by the scowling face of Okoye and another Dora that Steve doesn't recognize. Steve blinks at them bleary-eyed. 

“The King has called for your presence in the throne room.” Okoye says before he gets the chance to say anything. Her grip on her spear does not relax. 

“Uh, okay,” He says, scrambling for something to say while he gets rid of the sleep fog in his brain. “Let me get dressed and I'll go find him.”

Once he's appropriately dressed, he follow the Dora’s to see T'Challa. He tries to explain to Okoye that he can find his way but they insist on going with him. 

On the way, he wonders if T'Challa has heard about what the Avengers did last night and wants to reward them. He starts planning his speech about how he'll convince T'Challa that they were just doing their jobs as Avengers and need no rewards for it. 

After all, T'Challa has given them a place when Tony abandoned them. Making sure nobody can overthrows him is the least they can do.

On second thought, he wouldn't mind a new shield. That will certainly make his work easier. 

The rest of his team is present when he arrives, as well as the entirety of T'Challa's council. He smiles at everyone present and goes to stand with his team. Steve can't help but notice that no one returns his smile. In fact, they seem to be glaring at them. 

“Good morning, T'Challa,” Steve greets. 

“Your Highness,” Okoye says interrupts from her place beside T'Challa's chair. 

“Excuse me?” Steve asks, confused. 

“You will address the king with the right title and accord him the respect of his station.” Okoye tells him. 

He nods apologetically at her and corrects himself. “Good morning, Your Highness.” The council members don't stop glaring. He looks to Nat for help but her face betrays none of her thoughts. 

“Captain Rogers,” The king says, ignoring Steve's greeting. “Why did you and your friends attack my citizens?” 

Steve frowns at his words and looks at his team again. “We didn't attack anyone, Your Highness.” 

An angry murmur rises in the room but T'Challa stops it with a raise of his hand. 

“Where were you last night?” He asks. 

Steve feels like he's bee. Set up for something he didn't do. Must be one of those people who have a problem with T'Challa giving them a place to stay. 

“Last night, the team had a training session before following a lead we had about rebels in the Border tribe.” He answers. 

“This is why opening our borders and inviting the colonizers in is a mistake, Your Highness.” One of the council members yells angrily. 

“And what did you find when you followed this lead?” T'Challa sounds like he's talking to a child. Steve does not appreciate his tone but he refrains from saying anything about it now. There'll be time for that later. 

“The Border tribe are planning to overthrow you, so we stopped them.”

“How did you achieve that?” The King continues in his condescending tone. 

At this point, his teammates have begun fidgeting under the weight of the gaze on them. Wanda is leaning on Clint and he has his arms around her. Scott looks like he wants shrink into his ant form. Only Sam and Nat stand proudly beside Steve. 

“We disrupted the meeting, confiscated their equipment.” Steve answers politely. “Your Highness, why all these questions?”

“Isn't what you did the definition an attack against them?” Shuri, T'Challa's little sister asks. Steve doesn't understand why she is present in this meeting. Isn't she a scientist and should be in her lab? Why is she here, where the adults are meeting when she has other more important things that needs her attention? 

“They're rebels,” Steve protests. “We didn't attack them. We stopped them from overthrowing T'Challa.”

“And how did you know they were rebels or planning to usurp the throne?” Another one of the council members asked. Steve doesn't answer him. Telling him it was Nat would compromise their source. Besides, he's not the king. For all Steve knows, this man could be a part of the rebellion. 

“Why didn't you go to the police or even the Doras about your concerns when you first found out about them?” The queen mother, Ramonda asks. 

‘Why should we when we're the Avengers and can handle the situation?’ Steve wants to ask but Nat cuts him off with a look before she answers the question. 

“Forgive us, Your Highness,” Nat placates demurely. “We were only looking to protect the interest of the king and meant no harm to the people.” 

“Your protection of the king's interests cost five people their lives and eight more severely injured, Ms Romanova,” The Queen Mother says sharply. 

“I say we string the colonizers up for all to see and know that such behavior will not be tolerated in Wakanda.” Someone else says. 

His mother may not have been convinced but T'Challa accepts the apology. 

“This is not how situations are handled here in Wakanda,” T'Challa warns them. “This is clearly a misunderstanding, so I will let you off with a warning. But I will not tolerate any harm done to my people in the future.” 

It's clear that the members of the council expected something more, but the Avengers all follow Nat's cue and thank T'Challa for his mercy before showing themselves out. 

“Why did you make it should like we did a bad thing we have to be sorry for?” Steve scowls at Natasha the moment they're alone in their quarters. “We saved Wakanda.”

“Sometimes you have to give people what they want,” Nat says. 

“Cap's right,” Sam agrees from where he's surfing through channels on the television. “If we start apologizing for saving people now, where does it end?” 

“Did you see how those council members were looking at us?” Clint grouses. “Like we are not fit to be in their presence.” He busies himself with the contents of the fridge for a few moments before slamming the door. “When are these servants bringing breakfast? The fridge is empty.”

“This is all Stark's fault!” Wanda pouts, red tendrils already floating from her fingers. “If he hadn't turned against us and forced us to leave our home where people love us, this wouldn't have happened.” Steve goes to comfort her, but Clint gets to her before him and wraps his hands around her. So he pats her on the head in comfort. 

Scott watches the scene with a confused frown before sighing. “I told you guys we should have told T'Challa first, now look what happened.”

“T'Challa understands that we're the Avengers,” Nat dismisses from her spot on the couch next to Steve. She's talking to the whole room but looking right at Steve. “You guys need to relax. It will all be forgotten by noon.”

“If he supports our actions then what was that?” Steve asks. “Why parade us before his council?” 

“Because not everyone on the council supports his decision help us.” Nat explains. “He has to save face with them and pretend he's giving them what they want.”

All her words do is confuse Steve more. “But he's the king. Shouldn't the king be able to do whatever he wants?” He asks her. “Why should he care what his council want?”

“Technically he is. But no matter how old you are or what you are, you mother is always you mother. Going against her is never easy.”

Oh. He recalls how the Queen Mother had looked and spoken to them. It must be hard having a mother like that. Steve understands T'Challa trying to make his mother happy, especially so soon after she lost her husband. 

Suddenly, he feels sorry for the young king. It couldn't have been easy, trying to do the right thing with her hovering and scrutinizing his decisions like that. 

After that, they all agree to forgive T'Challa and take it easy on him. He's only trying to make the only parent he has left happy. It isn't hard when all of them have lost their own parents. 

 

*****

 

True to Nat's words, no one mentions anything about the fight after that day and life in Wakanda continues on as usual. They still have free reign to go anywhere they wish within the country. The people are still wary around them and they still refer to them as colonizers, but Steve figures its because they don't know how the Avengers saved them from a tyrant. 

He'll be more annoyed about his good works being hidden like a dirty secret, but he knows that it's not T'Challa's fault. The young king is still finding his bearing. With time, he'll learn to do the right thing and make his mother see that some things are necessary. Until then, life goes on as usual. 

It's been about two weeks since, and he is on a hike through a path in the mountains with Clint and Wanda. They'd discovered the trail a few days ago and had insisted Steve join them in their exploration because he's been depressed about the lack of progress in Bucky's treatment. It's been almost five months since Bucky has been in cryo and Steve misses him like a missing limb. Talking to his frozen form just isn't the same and all it accomplishes is to give Steve more graphics for his nightmares. 

“I wish Tony would stop being so stubborn,” Steve laments. He'd overheard Shuri saying that Tony's BARF can help Bucky but there's no way of getting him to part with it without alerting him of their presence in Wakanda. 

“I bet if we ask T'Challa, he'll give us a jet.” Clint is saying. “If Stark sees how serious we are, he'll stop playing around and give you the BARF.”

“And if he insists on being petty, I can always get him to change his mind,” Wanda agrees darkly as the red of her magic floats around her fingers. “It's the least he can do after he tried to kill you guys.”

“To be honest, I'm not sure I can trust him near Bucky.” Steve says sadly. “Who knows what he and Ross would do to him if they get their hands on him? Bucky has suffered enough.”

“The fucking bastard-,” Clint starts angrily but cuts himself off, looking off into the distance. 

“Clint?” Wanda asks cautiously but Clint shushes her before pointing at the distance in a valley off the side of the mountain. Where about a dozen people where on a straight file were disappearing off into what looks like a cave. 

They watched them silently, as the people, oblivious to their presence continued their journey. Steve recognized two of the men as part of the group the Avengers encountered when they went to break up the insurgence against T'Challa. 

“Looks like they changed their meeting place,” Steve says, breaking the silence. 

“Let's go find out what they're planning. ” Wanda says, taking a step in the direction the Wakandans just went through but Steve holds her back. 

“None of us understand the language,” Clint says with a shake of his head. “And after the last time, they're likely armed. We can't take them all alone if they are armed.”

“Yeah,” Steve agrees. “Now that we know where they are, we should assemble the team and pay them a visit.” 

“Let's go crash their party!” Clint says enthusiastically, echoing Steve's emotions. The thought of having something to work through the tension curling within him alone makes him feel much better than he has in a while. 

Wanda nods and with that, they return to their quarters to get the others. 

 

*****

The atmosphere that greets them when they arrive at their wing of the palace is a very solemn one. Sam is sitting between Scott and Nat, and they're all wearing long faces- Well, Scott and Sam are, while Nat's face is blank. 

“What's going on?” Wanda asks while Steve is still trying to figure out the best way to deal with this. 

Sam looks very miserable and Steve fears he may burst into tears. “Dumebi is dead.” He says and Steve rears back in shock. 

“What happened?” He asks. He hasn't seen much of Dumebi, Sam's girlfriend in the two weeks since the incident with the border tribe. He just assumed she was one of the people in the palace who were against the Avengers doing the right thing. 

“She's been complaining about feeling a little bit under the weather for a while, but it became serious when she started coughing a short while ago. She died this morning.”

“Do they know what caused it?” Clint asks. 

“Not yet, but they think it's serious because a few others have been admitted with the same symptoms.”

“I'm sorry, Sam.” Steve apologizes for lack of something better to say. He's never quite sure how to comfort someone who has lost someone or even approach the topic. 

He thinks about Coulson's death and how uncomfortable he'd felt when everyone around him was mourning. His mind drifts to Tony but shuts down the train of thought. 

“It's okay, Cap,” Sam smiles weakly at him. “It's not your fault.”

“Isn't Wakanda more medically advanced?” Scott asks. “How come they couldn't treat a simple cough.”

“It's not just the cough. That's just a symptom. The doctor said they've never dealt with anything like it before and they're trying to figure out what it is.”

“I know something that will make you feel better,” Clint announces. That gets their attention. 

“What could you possibly do to make someone whose girlfriend just died feel better?” Scott asks skeptically. 

“Beating up bad guys,” He shrugs. “I don't know about you, but it always improves my mood. Or at the very least, it will be a good distraction.” He gets a concerned look from Scott and Sam. 

“The border tribe is making their move again.” Steve says, clarifying what Clint meant. He proceeds to tell Sam, Scott and Nat what they had witnessed. 

As predicted, Sam is happy to be distracted from his current sorrows. The team assemble with only minimal objections from Scott, who shuts up immediately they tell him to stay behind if he doesn't want to join the mission. 

True to Clint's words their opponents were fully armed, which highlighted the lack of Steve's shield and Iron Man's absence. By the end of the battle, Steve was bleeding in several places but thankfully, his healing abilities had kicked in so they weren't life threatening any longer. The same couldn't be said for Clint was shot in his right shoulder. Thankfully, they had Nat who is skilled in administering first aid on the field with minimal supplies. 

“You don't look like someone who just won a fight,” Wanda observes, coming to stand beside him as they wait for one of the few standing people left from the fight to extract the information they would show as evidence of their good work. 

It was Nat's idea, so that if the King's council tried to manipulate T'Challa, he could present them with it. Nat had tried to go through the system herself, but was met with a block at every turn so when the young boy offered to help them, they accepted. 

“I'm just thinking of Tony,” Steve says, then winces when he realizes who he is talking to. 

“Why?” Wanda demands and she looks betrayed. “We just saved Wakanda without him trying to show us up or challenge you. We're better off without him, why would you miss him?”

“I don't miss him,” Steve defends himself. “I just think he would have loved it here. Wakanda has all the stuff he likes. He would have taken it as a challenge to hack this computer.” As he talks about Tony, he finds himself missing the genius. Tony still hasn't called or replied the letter Steve wrote him. He thinks about Tony going on missions with his new team and wonders if he ever misses the real Avengers. If he ever misses Steve. 

“Why would you wish Stark on Wakanda?” Clint snorts. “Do you hate them that much?” 

“Within a few days in the country, there will be a crater where the country used to be,” Sam agrees.

“If his bombs doesn't destroy it,” Wanda picks up. “His murder ‘bots will.” 

“I think it's safe to say Wakanda is better off without Stark tainting it.” Nat says. “Not when he can't be trusted around something he doesn't understand.”

After that, they collect everything useful and take the boy who had helped. Steve will put in a good word for him with T'Challa. He's obviously misguided but he deserves a second chance. 

He's bleeding but there is little time to attend to his wounds, so they bring him along like that. One of the doctors at the palace will treat his injuries. 

The moment they step out of the mountain path and into the open field, they are descended on by crowds. Everyone is watching, whispering quietly among themselves, even as they follow after them. The farther the walk, the more people come out to join the crowd. 

Steve gives them a little smile and wave as they walk by, letting them know that the Avengers are their friends that will always save them. 

They are a few yards away from the palace when someone throws the first fruit. It was like that is signal the crowd has been waiting for. They were pelted with different types of fruits, from every angle. They barely made it to the palace. 

The crowd doesn’t dissipate once they’re gone. They stayed in front and began to riot and protest. Steve doesn't understand what is going on. They just saved Wakanda from their oppressors. The citizens should be grateful. 

They were rounded up by the some of the Doras and palace guards in hazmat suits. Instead of leading them to their rooms, they were forcibly dragged to a row of glass cells under the palace and a collar is forced on Wanda. 

Every attempt to explain or get an explanation for the treatment falls on deaf ears. They can see each other through the glass but the cells must have been soundproofed because not even his super hearing could pick up any sounds. 

Despite the fancy looking glass, every attempt to punch through it proved futile. Their gears have been seized and they were stripped off their body armors before they were dumped in the cell. 

Steve punches the glass in an attempt to break through it until the bones in his hands breaks and protrudes out of the skin and it heals wrong. Then he throws himself at the wall until he stops feeling the effects of his healing abilities all together. Despite all of this, the glass holds firm.

 

*****

 

A few hours later, Princess Shuri shows up, flanked on both sides by two Doras. They are all dressed in the same type of hazmat the Doras and palace guards wore earlier. 

She doesn't say anything to them as she collects blood and tissue samples from them. Steve tries to resist when she gets to him, but he is stung by one of the Doras. The sting hurt so bad, he could barely move his limbs for some minutes after Shuri was out of his cell. 

He wonders if this has all been a trap. Had T'Challa tricked them into dropping their guards so that he could steal the formula for the soldier serum? 

He panics when he thinks about Bucky, vulnerable in cryo. Who is going to protect him with Steve down here? Who is going to make sure Shuri doesn't experiment on him or do anything untoward to him? 

He should have known T'Challa couldn't be trusted. He should have known the young king was only biding his time until he could have his revenge. 

After all they have done to protect Wakanda, this is the thanks they get. 

Steve doesn't know how much time passes before someone stops by to talk to them. The lighting in their cells doesn't change. They could have been wrongly imprisoned for days, weeks or months for all he knows. 

The guards have been bringing them food and water-- nothing like they used to feed them with, but still enough that they don't starve. Although, Steve wishes they would increase his ration and the frequency with which they feed them. 

Wanda has not stopped crying. Steve wants to comfort her but there is little he can do when he can't reach her and she can't hear him. He can see Clint's mouth moving, and from the vein raised on his neck, he can tell he's screaming, but can't hear a word he says. Scott and Sam both look lost and despondent. Truly, a more miserable pair has never been seen. Nat has been quiet since they were thrown in, and Steve imagines she's devising an escape plan. 

It's one of the elderly women in the council that finally tells them what is going on. This time, she is not wearing a hazmat suit. 

“Prepare yourselves,” She tells them, after pushing a button on a control panel. “You are being transported.”

“Where are you taking us?” Nat asks at the same time Steve asks

“What is going on?” He asks. 

“You are being extradited.” The woman says. “You had no business being in here in the first place. Not after all the crimes you committed.”

“We aren’t criminals!” Clint shouts. “We saved your people.”

“You shed Wakandan blood, both within and outside our borders.” She tells them coldly. “You terrorize our citizens and plague us with your disease. Yet you dare to say you saved us? Please, enlighten me about how you saved us.”

“We are not terrorists,” Wanda says with indignation. “If not for us, your country would have been overrun by tyrants.”

“And did we ask for your help in being saved?” The councilwoman counters. 

“We're the Avengers,” Steve declares. “You don't need to ask for our help.”

“We are capable of ending any uprising within our borders.” She says frostily. “At no point have we required help from colonizers.”

“The border tribe was planning to overthrow the king.” Steve argues. “You guys didn't even know and if not for us, they would have succeeded.”

“And who told you that?” 

“I found out through my own investigation,” Nat says. 

“Why am I not surprised? You Black Widows can do little more than spread your legs and your lies.” She scoffs. 

“What do you mean?” Scott asks. 

“The border tribe have been in talks with the Jibari tribe because they wish to create an alliance through marriage.” She tells them. “The young man you brought with you is the one who wishes to marry them.”

“But why were they having secret meetings?” Scott asks, confused. 

“They only look that way to you because you are ignorant of our customs.”

“Wait,” Sam says, holding a hand up. “You said something about a disease?” 

“Yes,” She nods, relaxing into her seat even as she sneers in Steve's direction. “Your Captain has created an epidemic in Wakanda by bringing tuberculosis to our country. This has resulted in the death of ten people, and even more has been hospitalized. I understand that Dumebi was your friend?” Sam nods. “If you want to find her murderer, look no further than your Captain.”

One could have heard a pin drop in the silence that follows. Steve wants to protest that he doesn't have tuberculosis, but the words are stuck in his throat as he remembers his mom, dying of the same illness. 

But the serum healed him of everything, didn't it? Steve has never been ill a day since after the serum and he never experienced a symptom of tuberculosis before then. 

_‘An illness can lay dormant in a person for years,’_ a voice whispers in his mind.

He thinks about the enlistment forms he filled out during the war, and the 4F he received over the course of four attempts to enlist. He recalls the doctors telling him that his health would be a liability. 

_But, didn't he finally win when Erikson recognized that he just wants to do good things and protect his country? Erksine recognized him as a good man. It's why the serum worked on him._

_That which is good will be better, but what about the bad?_

“Steve wouldn't do that,” Wanda disagrees vehemently. “Steve is good and kind. He would never hurt anyone.” When he doesn't answer, she presses her point. “Right, Steve?” In a smaller, more timid voice. 

Steve wants to answer but he feels like his tongue has turned to lead in his mouth. 

He chances a look at Sam, and his friend is staring at him like he doesn't know Steve. The entire team is. 

“Sam,... ” He starts but trails off. 

“Did you know?” Sam asks and he sounds so hurt and heartbroken. 

Steve flinches at the emotion in the voice, even as he hears the question in a different voice. Suddenly, he feels cold seeping into his body, even though the temperature within his cell hasn't changed. 

“I- Sam, I-” Steve tries and fails to defend himself. 

“Did you know you were a carrier of tuberculosis?” Sam asks quietly. 

“Look,-” He tries again. 

“Have you been knowingly spreading your germs around?” He asks Steve harshly, even as his breath catches before breaking down. 

“Have you been endangering our lives by keeping this a secret from us?” Clint yells then runs a hand through his too long hair. “Fuck! I can't believe I left my family for you.”

“Did you kill Dumebi, Steve?” Sam asks again. 

This time Steve has no answer. He looks to his team they all look so disgusted by him. Even Wanda wouldn't meet his eyes. Scott looks sick. 

“All this time, you know you've been endangering our lives to make yourself feel important,” Sam says. He's crying openly now. “I was your friend. You know how much I loved her and yet you said nothing.”

Steve turns his head toward the councilwoman because he's the only one whose hate hurts less. 

“Like I said,” She says over the sound of Sam crying and Scott comforting him. “Prepare yourselves.”

“But King T'Challa said we can stay,” Nat says. “Can't you just get rid of the ones that pose a problem to your country?” She asks with a nod in Steve's direction. 

Steve isn't surprised that she's selling him out to help herself. It's what she does. After all, she turned against Tony the moment the wind changed. 

“T'Challa has been deposed as king,” The woman says primely. “Wakanda has a new king and he is turning you over to the countries whose laws you have broken. With all that has happened in the past weeks, King M'Baku intends to show the world he is nothing like his predecessor. You should be grateful for his mercy. Others will see you tried and beheaded for your crimes against Wakanda.”

“What?” Steve feels like he's been punched. 

“It was foolish of T'Challa to invite colonizers within our borders, especially when said colonizers are fugitives with no respect for laws or human lives. He endangered us by bringing you here. Your presence almost brought about the end of Wakanda. A dynasty that has lasted over four hundred years.

“When it became clear that T'Challa was not fit to rule, another trial was called for. T'Challa lost.”

“But, but what about Bucky?” Steve couldn't bear if something has happened to his friend. 

“He is being roused as we speak. He will go with you.”

Steve nods, relieved. 

“So T'Challa is only the Black Panther now?” Clint asks. 

The woman spares him a glance, as if contemplating if she should answer. “Wakanda has no more need for a Black Panther.” She tells them. “Henceforth, Wakanda will be protected by the White Ape.”

With that, she leaves them to their thoughts. Steve only wishes she reactivated the soundproofing within the cells so he doesn't have to hear the thoughts of his teammates.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a fic about the Avengers avenging in Wakanda but the plot got away.
> 
> Every country has a faction of rebels, and Wakanda is no different. What stops the rogues from inserting themselves into Wakanda's politics? Especially after T'Challa has led them to believe that he supports them by taking them in and protecting them from the consequences of their actions.
> 
> Everyone, check out Thisisarealtagwhy's gift to me in my profile! 
> 
> Happy Birthday to me!!


End file.
